


The Captain's Christmas Tradition

by EnsignAnna



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Banter, Chekov is adorable, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Crew as Family, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Presents, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, christmas tradition, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 11:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5495780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnsignAnna/pseuds/EnsignAnna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the crew of the Enterprise party Christmas Eve away below decks, Captain Kirk and the Alpha shift have another way to celebrate the season.</p><p>Or</p><p>The reason why you see Captain Janeway softly singing Christmas carols to her crew. (Off camera, of course.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Captain's Christmas Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Because it’s almost Christmas, I decided to write a short holiday drabble from one of my favorite fandoms. This is really just some TOS Christmas fluff.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its characters. They all belong to Paramount Pictures. (And God bless Gene Roddenberry this Christmas, who is now, and always will be, the Great Bird of the Galaxy.)

"Fer once cap'n, me wee barons are ready t' fly."

Captain James T. Kirk smiled at his chief engineer, Montgomery Scott, before turning his chair slightly as to not jolt the doctor leaning against it. "I'm glad to hear that, Scotty. Does that mean you won't get mad at me if I want to go fast?"

Doctor Leonard McCoy, who was leaning against the captain's chair, snorted. "Scotty'll always shout at you for trying to fly fast, Jim. You're fast is much different than everyone else's fast, which is like running away from blood-thirsty Klingons to make it in time for Spock’s wedding."

"I must agree with the doctor, captain." Mr. Spock, who had been sitting at his science station, turned his chair around and got up. Going down the short stairwell, he stopped at the captain's side. "Your definition of fast differs from both Mr. Scott's and Starfleet's definition."

Jim had a pout on his face.

"Even Spock agrees, Jim," McCoy told the distraught captain, a slight smirk on his face. "You can’t win them all. Which reminds me..." He motioned to a yeoman, who handed a pad to him.

"Uh oh," Scotty muttered, beating a hasty retreat. Spock looked ready to do the same.

"The Enterprise's Christmas party is coming up, Spock, and I see that both you and Jim aren't on the list. Either of you care to explain?"

Jim gave a mock groan. " _Bones_ , we don't have to go! One Alpha shift member has to be on shift at all times. ‘Sides, I’m not going so Spock can go.”

Spock blinked. “Captain, I was going to take the shift so that Mr. Chekov could go.”

Chekov and Sulu turned their chairs around. “But Meester Spock!” Chekov protested. “I vas going to take ze shift so zat Sulu could go!”

Sulu grinned at him. “I was going to take the shift so that Uhura could sing at the party.”

Uhura cleared her throat and gave Sulu an amused look. “Actually, Sulu, I’m taking the shift so that Scotty can take a break.”

Scotty gave her a look of surprise. “But lass, I was goin’ to the shift so that th’ good doctor could go himself!”

McCoy snorted again. “And I was going to take the shift so that you could go, Jim. I guess we’re all at a standstill.”

At that moment, the yeoman left the bridge, leaving just the seven there.

“Well…” Jim said slowly, “If everyone wants to stay, then how about we have our own little party? Alpha shift only.”

“But Captain, who will man the bridge-” Spock began.

“We’ll have the party on the bridge during the shift of the Enterprise’s Christmas party,” Jim said decidedly. “No booze since we’re on shift, gentlemen.” He looked pointedly at McCoy and Scotty.

Now McCoy had a pouty face. “But Jim, what fun is a party with no Saurian brandy?”

“Aye, Cap’n. A wee bit o’ scotch never hurt a soul,” Scotty pleaded.

“No alcohol,” Jim commanded, and then paused, giving the occupants of the room a slight glare. “You are all formally invited to the Alpha shift’s Christmas party. The dress is semi-formal, just wear your uniform, and it starts at exactly 1700 on Christmas Eve. You are all also expected to attend. No excuses.”

Chekov and Sulu nodded excitedly, while Scotty looked like he was trying to figure out how to sneak in some scotch and Uhura seemed to be planning exactly what she was going to wear. McCoy was bouncing on his toes, and Spock was as impassive as always, but once he nodded Jim could see the slight excitement on his face.

“Vhat are ve going to do, keptin?”

“Well, since there’s no booze and we’re on shift…” McCoy trailed off thoughtfully. Then he brightened. “Wait, I’ve got it!”

He leaned over and whispered something in Spock’s ear that the rest of the room couldn’t hear. Spock raised his eyebrow, but nodded. “That seems like a logical course of action, doctor.”

McCoy wrinkled his nose and slid over to Uhura. He whispered something in her ear, and after she smiled and he moved to tell Sulu, she whispered into Scotty’s ear. Sulu, grinning, whispered something in Chekov’s ear, causing the Russian to grin as well.

Jim frowned. “Are you going to let me in on the secret, Bones?” He asked. “I kind of feel like this is a game of telephone except I’m the last person.”

Spock looked confused for a moment, but kept his mouth shut.

“You’ll see, Jim,” McCoy said, smiling evilly. “You’ll see…”

Jim looked nervously at Spock, but was met by an impassive face as the Vulcan turned and walked back to his station. Everyone went back to what they were doing, leaving the confused and slightly nervous Captain to wait until the end of the month.

 

*****

 

Over the course of the month, in-between in usual shifts and drills, Jim could feel the excitement in the Alpha shift. Even Spock seemed to be amused as to what was to come, and if Spock thought it was funny, it gave Jim every reason to worry.

He caught McCoy and Uhura whispering during a shift, a sly smile on both of their faces that disappeared to an innocent one whenever they saw their captain staring at them. There were the grins that Chekov and Sulu would share randomly, or the side looks Scotty would give him when he thought Jim wasn’t looking.

When December twenty-fourth rolled around, Jim was half worried that he was going to find a tribble in his captain’s chair when he started the evening shift.

The day dragged by with the usual dullness, but everyone could feel the excitement bubbling up in the heart of the ship. The Christmas party was tonight, and through much hassle and rotating of shifts, the entire crew would be able to go this year.

Finally, Alpha shift was on, in the evening for once, and while below the crew was celebrating, Uhura was passing out coffee (tea in Spock’s case) to everyone as the captain walked in.

He slowly made his way down the stairs, and checked his chair before sitting down in it. “Where’s-”

“I’m here!” McCoy said loudly, jumping out of the turbolift. He had a hand behind his back. “Sorry I’m late. An ensign thought it would be a good idea to try and train while his leg was still in its cast. I had to reset it.” He made his way down to Jim’s side, and as the captain tried to glance at what he was hiding, McCoy waved a finger at him. “No peeking, Jim.”

“But Boooooones!” Jim whined. “I’ve been waiting all moooooooonth!”

“Fiiiiiiine,” McCoy mocked, before grinning and pulling out a wrapped present from behind his back. “Here, it’s from all of us.

“I’m not a child, Bones,” Jim mumbled, putting on his best insulted face.

“Coulda fooled me. Now open it!”

Jim stared at the present for a moment, before shaking and weighing it. “Is it an animal, vegetable, or mineral?”

Even Sulu and Scotty groaned at that. “Captain-” “Cap’n-” “-Open it already!” “-Stop stallin’!”

He gingerly opened his gift as Spock once again stood by his side. Uhura swooped in to take the wrapping paper as Jim flipped over the present. It was a book, a bit worn but obviously cleaned up, titled:

 

_Famous Christmas Stories from 20 th Century Earth_

“Bones, where did you find this?” Jim asked, wonder evident on his face. He had a collection of old books in his quarters, and this would be a great addition.

“Actually, we all found it. I thought of the idea, and Chekov and Uhura found it on our last shore leave in an old antique shop. Spock and Scotty helped clean it up, and Sulu did the wrapping. It was a team effort, all for our beloved captain.” There was sarcasm at the end of his sentence, but the affection was clear as well.

“Guys, I- I don’t know what to say!” He fiddled the book. “I don’t have anything to give to your guys!”

“Captain,” Spock interrupted, his voice serious. “May I suggest something?”

“Suggest away, Spock-o!” McCoy told him snidely.

The Vulcan’s eyes twitched slightly at the name, but he nodded. “Captain, as we all know, the point of a book is to read it. Could you not read one or two of the stories?”

“Oh….Um….”

“C’mon Jim, it’ll be fine!”

“It’s just a story, captain!”

“I’m sure ye can do it!”

Chekov looked at the hesitant captain with his trademark puppy look. “Pwease, keptin?”

Jim sighed resignedly. “Alright. But only one story, okay?”

There were nods around, and everyone settled in their stations, doing their jobs as they listened to the story.

 

*****

 

As it turned out, one story turned to two, then three. By the time the party was over and the shift was done, the captain had read five stories to his crew. His throat was a bit sore, but, he surmised, it was worth it.

Words like “Thanks, captain” and “We should do this next year” were bandied about before everyone went off to bed. The book was placed lovingly on the shelf next to _War and Peace_.

The next year, in some unspoken agreement, the Alpha crew met up again the following Christmas, the same time the crew’s Christmas party was. And if the crew noticed this, they didn’t say a word.

Jim opened up the book and began to read, coffee by his side.

Chekov loved to hear Jim’s voice because it reminded him of his grandfather’s voice telling him tales of Russia.

Sulu had missed being read stories from his childhood, and having his mentor and captain read his favorites to him was something to look forward to.

Uhura liked the soft tenor of her captain’s voice, raising or lowering depending on what was happening in the story.

Scotty enjoyed the horrible accents Jim sometimes did, insulting Scottish and Russian with a laugh. Seeing the twinkle in his captain’s eye made him want to laugh as well.

McCoy was just glad having Jim so calm and quiet, the stress of being a captain gone when he opened the book. It was a nice change from the usual.

And Spock, well, he wouldn’t necessarily say that he “liked” something, for like was an emotion, but listening to his captain read through story after story, as if it was perfectly acceptable for him to spend time with Spock other than in work or the occasional chess game, made him feel a slight tightness in his chest. It wasn’t his family’s fault, his mother and father had done their best in the circumstances, but when he sat at this station, half-listening to stories of flying reindeer and an old man named Santa Claus, he felt as if he was wanted.

He felt like Jim, and McCoy, and Scotty, and Uhura, and Sulu, and Chekov were his family, and as Jim looked up at Spock, a teasing look in his eye after he finished a story of a snowman that came alive, Spock smiled through his eyes. He was home.

And the entire crew saw his eyes, and they knew that, too.

 

 

 *******

 

  

**Epilogue:**

Ironically enough, “The Captain’s Christmas Tradition,” as it was now deemed, was more than just a Captain Kirk tradition.

Of course, throughout the many, _many_ five-year missions the seven managed to pull through together, every year Jim still managed to change the schedule to make time for the stories.

And as Captain Kirk disappeared, and the crew of the _Enterprise_ went on to do better things, the tradition was passed on.

Captain Picard was a bit surprised whenever he was told that it was time for the ‘tradition’ on his first ship, but by the time he got the _Enterprise-D_ , he was sure to continue the Christmas story telling. (Wesley would not stop singing his “Make it So” version of “Let it Snow” for a week.)

When Captain Sisko was told about it, he changed it a bit, and as well telling stories to his shift, he sang songs with all of _Deep Space 9_. (Odo kept turning into Frosty the Snowman because he had the song stuck in his head.)

That is why, throughout the long and rough ride home for the crew of the _Voyager_ , for many years Captain Janeway told stories and sang songs throughout Christmas Eve, and when someone asked why she did this, she would smile.

“I don’t really know. It’s been going on for years.” She would laugh. “It’s the Captain’s Tradition.”

**Author's Note:**

> After I wrote that, I was having extreme feels because Star Trek is amazing.
> 
> For anyone who is curious, Captain Archer (Star Trek: Enterprise) once sang Christmas carols, but never did tell any stories. I personally think that’s more of a Jim thing.
> 
> Please leave kudos and/or a comment, because they make me feel happy!  
> Thanks for reading, and a very merry Christmas to you all!


End file.
